It’s time again for my sharing some noteworthy films from last year. Best? Some are; others just need to be brought to your attention. Some will win awards; some will never be nominated. Some you’ll thank me for; some will make you think I’m an idiot. These are films that will make you laugh, or cry, or think, or see something new. But each has made an impression on me, so now I’m sharing them with you. (Links to my reviews if there is one.)
- Anora. Director Sean Baker is wonderful at taking us into parts of the world we may never have wanted to visit—and enjoy the trip. A sex worker from Brooklyn and the son of a Russian oligarch try to find happiness together. The ensuing comic tale leaves love as a victim at the side of the road. We may look at their relationship as impossible to sustain, but we certainly wish they have the chance. Currently in theaters, rentable at Prime Video.
- His Three Daughters. Directed by Azazel Jacobs. Very different sisters come together to care for their father in his final days. It is really character studies of the stress and the joys that families face as they all deal with the situation in different, sometimes conflicting, ways. It may be about dying, but it is a celebration of life and love. Streaming on Netflix
- Eternal You. This documentary from Hans Block and Moritz Riesenwieck takes a look at the way AI is being used to deal with grief. Wouldn’t you love to talk with a loved one who has died? There are companies that are working to make that happen. Is it yet another way the funeral industry is trying to get grievers’ money? No doubt, but it can also bring comfort to some. I saw this during Sundance a year ago and my emotional reaction to it now is that this should be seen as a horror picture. There are possibilities for good use of these technologies, but the film also shows just how dangerous this can be. Opening in theaters soon. Available to stream on Kanopy.
- A Real Pain. Directed by Jesse Eisenberg. Two cousins take a Holocaust tour to Poland to honor their grandmother’s memory. An odd couple/road trip story that brings together joy and pain, grief and hope. In theaters and streaming on Hulu.
- Eephus. Directed by Carson Lund. Two rec league baseball teams of mostly middle-aged men play the final game at the local field. This is more than just an elegy to baseball—although it certainly is that. This is an experience of an ending of sorts. As long as the game goes on, all those involved are fending off the encroaching end. For them this is holy ground. Like Field of Dreams, the film uses baseball as a lens to contemplate life, meaning, and mortality. Scheduled for limited release near the beginning of baseball season.
- The Room Next Door. Pedro Almódovar’s first English language feature asks what would someone be able to do for a friend. Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton (and wonderful performances) are two friends who went in different directions years ago, but when one is dying, she asks the other to stay with her in a remote house until she ends her life. This film shouldn’t be seen as an advocacy film for death with dignity, although it clearly is sympathetic with the concept. It is much more an explanation of what it means to be a friend.
- The Piano Lesson. Directed by Malcom Washington. Can there be a dollar value on a family’s history? Could that history be converted to a future? Would the history remain? Those question circulate through this adaptation of an August Wilson play about a black family in turmoil. Streaming on Netflix.
- September 5. Directed by Tim Fehlbaum. When the terrorist attack against Israeli athletes happened at the Munich Olympics, the ABC Sports crew covering the games found themselves covering a breaking story they never imagined. This is the behind the scenes story played out in the production facilities. It is the most gripping thriller I’ve seen this year. Showing in theaters.
- Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat. Directed by Johan Grimonprez. This is really a two and a half hour history lesson about post-colonial Africa with jazz accompaniment. Blend the music and the geopolitical events of superpowers and new nations struggling for a place in the world. Showing in theaters, streaming on Kanopy, for rent on Prime Video.
- Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World. Directed by Julio Palacio. This documentary short introduces us to a fourteen year old non-speaking Autistic girl who has recently learned to communicate through a letter board. We discover a depth of thought that astounds us. She tells us, “It is my gift to sing my silence to the world.” You can easily afford the 23 minutes it takes to watch this film and be moved by her silent song. Streaming on Netflix.
- Sing Sing. Directed by Greg Kwedar. Prisoners find meaning and hope performing in theater group inside the prison. The film involves a few professional actors, but also uses many incarcerated actors as well. Showing in theaters.
- Hard Truths. Directed by Mike Leigh. Marianne Jean-Baptist gives my favorite performance of the year as a woman living with fear. It causes her to interact with the world through angry rages, which only isolates her even more—even from those she loves. Showing in theaters.
And of course, I can’t be content to only give you twelve films to consider, so I’ll add some Honorable Mentions (alphabetically). They are all good, but just don’t have that je ne sais quoi to make the top of the year list. (Even if some do have Oscar noms.)
A Complete Unknown. Directed by James Mangold. Serviceable biopic of early Bob Dylan. Boomers will love it for the music. In theaters.
The Brutalist. Directed by Brady Corbet. It is long, but worth it. Jewish architect building a new life in America after the War. In theaters.
My Old Ass. Directed by Megan Park. Time-bending coming-of-age comedy that is my Ecclesiastes movie of the year. Young woman meets herself from 20 years from now. Streaming on Prime Video.
Nickel Boys. Directed by RaMell Ross. Young black man unjustly sent to reformatory in Jim Crow South. In theaters.
Oh, Canada. Directed by Paul Schrader. Draft-refuge cum documentarian recounts his life to wife in search of redemption. In theaters, rentable on Prime Video.
Patrice: The Movie. Directed by Ted Passon. Doc about two disabled persons who want to get married, but they would lose essential benefits if they did. Streaming on Hulu.
Will & Harper. Directed by Josh Greenbaum. Doc about Will Farrell and his longtime friend Harper Steele on a cross-country road trip, occasioned by Harper’s recent transition to a woman. Streaming on Netflix.
Good thing it’s winter. You have lots of time to stay inside for movies.
